The present invention relates generally to a packing containers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a packing container including two U-shaped parts which border on, and are sealed to, one another along a common edge.
A packing container of this type is known from Swedish Pat. No. 330,505. The packing container disclosed in the patent specification is intended for liquid goods such as milk, cream etc. and includes an opening arrangement to facilitate the emptying of the contents. The opening arrangement is in the form of an emptying hole punched out of the packing container wall which is covered by a tear-off strip (so-called pull-tab). This type of emptying opening is easily openable and in many cases is suited to its purpose, but it cannot be used for solid or semi-solid products, e.g, yogurt, ice-cream or the like. Since the packing container as such is very suitable for such products it is desirable now to provide the packing container with an opening arrangement which renders even this type of contents accessible for consumption. The opening arrangement should not involve making the packing container as a whole more complicated to manufacture or to use, e.g. by providing it with applied components to facilitate the opening, e.g. tearing strips, tearing wires or the like. The packing container moreover should be easy to open and convenient to handle at the same time as, through its design, the risk of unintentional opening in connection with transport or other handling is kept to a minimum. Lastly the design of the packing container should be such that it can be manufactured without appreciable modifications to existing machines.
It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide a packing container which complies well with the abovementioned requirements and is economically attractive to producers and consumers alike.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a packing container of the abovementioned type with a simple, easily openable opening arrangement which does not complicate the handling or transport of the packing container.
These and other objects have been achieved in accordance with the invention in that a packing container of the type described earlier includes an openable top side serving as a lid which extends at an angle to, and is in hinged connection with, the back of the packing container.
A preferred embodiment of the packing container in accordance with the invention, moreover, has been given the characteristics evident from the description below.
The packing container in accordance with the invention complies well with the requirements specified above, insofar as they concern openability, accessibility of the contents and handling, owing to the whole top side of the packing container serving as a lid. The lid is in hinged connection with the back of the packing container and thus remains on the package after the opening, which reduces the risk of causing litter in the countryside and makes possible the reclosure of the packing container.
By placing a weakening line at a little distance below the lid, a part of the side walls will accompany the lid when the same is opened. These parts of the side walls are firmly attached to the underside of the lid and serve as stiffening beams which give the lid stability and steady it during the actual opening procedure as well as when the lid is to be reclosed.
The design of the cut lines and their mutually slightly displaced location permits a simple opening of the packing container and provides the opened packing container with a clean and even cut edge. The location of the outside cutting line at a short distance below the lid facilitates the initiation of the opening procedure, since the user is able with the help of a finger (usually the thumb) which grips on the underside of the lid edge to press at the same time against the weakening line so that the material breaks in this region thus facilitating considerably the separation of the material in connection with the opening up of the lid.